Hand punch for perforating the sheets of looseleaf binders



ug 23, 1966 A. F. BROOK 3267,76@

HND'PUNCH FOR PERFORATING THE SHEETS OF LOOSELEAF BINDERS Filed sept. 22, :1.954

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um m mm mf United States Patent() 3,267,789 HAND PUNCH FOR PERFORATING THE SHEETS F LOOSELEAF BINDERS Arthur F. Brook, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Filed Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,364 1 Claim. (Cl. 83-622) The invention herein disclosed relates to hand punches, particularly punches such as used in perforating the sheets of looseleaf binders.

Objects of the invention have been to provide a lightweight portable type hand punch of practical inexpensive construction, easily operable but powerful and accurate in action `and which would be made up of but few simple parts, readily assembled and adapted to 'be cooperatively connected and arranged by the mere act of assembly.

Other special objects of the invention have been to provide a punch such as mentioned which w-ould require but a small amount of machining and would in the end provide a useful attractive machine structure.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts through which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth and will :appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structures, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration; all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawing is a top plan view of one of the presses.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the same, with operating handle shown appearing in section.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the machine with parts of the base broken away and appearing in section.

The base of the machine is shown as a hollow casting having a flat table forming top 7 and flanged about the edge at 8 to retain the elastic pad 9 which closes the open bottom of the base.

Rising from the back of the base, there is a ridge or upright wall 10 which at its lower end has a sheet positioning gauge 11 and above that a bearing for an operating shaft and bearings for the punches operated thereby.

These bearings are provided by formation of a U- shaped cross section groove in the front of the upstanding wall, providing the spaced forwardly projecting shelves or ledges 12 and 13 and the connecting part circular bearing 14 at the back of the same.

The lines of guide passages 15, 16 in the ledges in line with die openings 17 in the base provide guiding bearings for the punches 18 which cooperate with the die passages.

The back or inner edges of the punches are formed with racks 19 engaging pinion teeth 20 on the rock shaft 21 which seats in the open bearings 14, rotatably con-lined therein by the overstanding punches.

The extent of the racks limits the turning movement of the pinion shaft in opposite directions and this determines lboth the throw of the shaft and the movement of the punches.

A suitable handle is provided for operating the shaft and this is shown as a straight lever 22 projecting from a collar 23 fixed on one end of the shaft.

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This collar serves as an abutment engaging the adjoining end of the wall or ridge 10 to limit movement of the shaft in one direction and movement of the shaft in the opposite direction is limited in the illustration by a snap ring 24 on the opposite end of the shaft, engaging that end of the upright bearing wall.

To distribute the load, the cutting ends of the punches may be staggered as shown at 25, in FIG. 2, to cut through in more or less sequential order.

The base may be equipped with adjustable one or more side or edge gauges as shown at 26 in FIG. 1.

The structure while light enough for easy portability, is strong and heavy enough for the punching effort for which the machine is designed.

The punches operating across the front of the open bearing serve to confine the shaft rotatably in place and the only fastening required is the end ring locking the shaft against endwise withdrawal movement.

The machine can be produced and assembled at relatively low cost and may last indefinitely without requiring any servicing.

The rack and pinion combination provides a particularly compact, simple direct drive from the shaft to the punches, taking up small space and affording desirable leverage for quick easy operation and the power for actuating -a long row of more or less closely spaced punches. The rack and pinion form of drive also serves to hold the punches lined up against rotation, the pinion teeth on the shaft by engagement with the rack teeth and holding the punches against axial rotative movement.

What is claimed is: A portable h-and punch for perforating sheets used in looseleaf binders, comprising a hollow base in the form of a single casting open at the bottom and having a projecting flange about the rim of said open bottom, said base having a flat top wall for support of sheets to be punched and an upstanding ridge at the back of said flat top wall, forming a front gage for sheets .placed on said top wall and having forwardly extending upper .and lower parallel ledges with a semi-circular connecting groove at the back and forming a forwardly facing half bearing open toward the front of the base, a rock shaft journalled in said half bearing, said rock shaft having pinion teeth faced toward the front of the base, 'a handle on one end of said shaft for rocking the same in opposite directions, vertically aligned bearings in said upper and lower ledges in front of said rock shaft, said flat top wall of the base having die openings therein in line with said bearings, punches slidably guided in said bearings in cooperative relation with said die openings and having racks on the back of the same in mesh with said pinion teeth, said punches by engagement of the racks thereon with said pinion teeth holding and rotatably confining said rock shaft in said open half bearings, and an elastic pad stretched in detachable engagement over said projecting flange of the base and forming a cover confining punch cuttings driven through said die UNITED References Cited by the Examiner STATES PATENTS Evans et a1 83-622 Jaques 83--629 X Dom 83-629 X Dom 83-618 X Freeman 83-629X Okumura 83-629 X May 83-629 X Palter 83-622 X FOREIGN PATENTS Germany.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

10 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Examiner.

J. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

